First Stanza Summary
The narrator starts the poem off by stating an understanding of a caged bird’s situation. After this, the narrator details the beauty and intrigue of the bird’s surroundings such as the springing grass, bright sun, and stirring wind. However, because the bird is caged, it is not frolicking in it. The stanza finishes off the same way it started, by the narrator empathizing with the described caged bird.
First Stanza Analysis This stanza uses imagery to depict the beauty of the world outside of the cage by using adjectives such as bright and soft which produce a mental picture of the setting. Symbolism is also used in reference to the beautiful setting, the cage, and the bird. In doing so, it creates a sense of longing which is relevant to the poem's theme. The bird represents a black person, who is restricted by the cage, or racism, which stops him from being able to experience the beautiful river and sun, or society.
Second Stanza Summary
This stanza furthers the suffering of the bird trapped in the cage, especially on a physical level. The narrator also expresses understanding as to why the bird bangs its wing against the outside of the cage to no avail. Demonstrating the
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Personifying these scars implies they have more value than if not personified. Perhaps this is a reference to the scars commonly found on former slaves’ backs. Symbolism is once again used as the poem’s character and setting still represent the same things as they did in the first stanza. However, the pain of the bird beating his wing against the cage represents the desperate attempts of African Americans to gain freedom that have been largely unsuccessful. Imagery is used to describe the beating of the birds wings using descriptive words like red, throbs, and sting. These words stimulant the senses and create a picture in the reader's